Call for nuclear Israel inspections (The Australian)

Kevin Rudd lays a wreath in Jerusalem yesterday evening at the Centre of education, and Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Photo: AP source: The Australian

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has arrived in Israel with a blunt message: enable international inspectors in your nuclear installation.

It also asked Israel stop building in Jewish West Bank settlements and Jerusalem-East.

In an interview with the Australia before arriving in Israel, last night, Mr Rudd staked strong positions on both issues.

While in many countries call for Israel curb growth of the colony, strong position of Mr Rudd Israel nuclear facilities which are bound to be more controversial in Israel.

Israel refuses to confirm that there even weapons nuclear, but familiar with the foreign intelligence program analysts believe that Israel has over 200 nuclear warheads at its plant in Dimona southern Israel. Israeli officials have confirmed to The Australian Israel had nuclear weapons but will not put a figure on them.

Mr Rudd said The Australian: "our assent since a long period of time, and it is that all States in the region should accede to the NPT, which includes Israel.".

But this is what he said then referring to the inspectors of the international agency of atomic energy which drew Israeli officials by surprise: "And their nuclear installations should therefore be subject to inspections of the IAEA."

He spoke before cable WikiLeaks proposed with United States, reports the Australia, can be drawn in a nuclear war in the Middle East if Israel attacking the Iran to try to disable its nuclear program.

Israeli officials were not surprised by the appeal of Mr. Rudd to sign the NPT by Israel, but was taken aback by his call for IAEA inspections. A senior Israeli official said: "I don't remember any Australian Minister saying facilities (Israel) must be placed under inspection."

Another Israeli official, who spoke on the condition that he not be named, said: "it is very surprising. Firstly, as we are not the signatory of the NPT, we do are not bound by its obligations; and, secondly, the NPT has proved ineffective. Its signatories include the Iran the Syria, the Libya, Iraq, speaks for itself.

"In unlike Iran, we were not wrong about any of our obligations."

Mr Rudd stated that, in view of the security challenges, Israel faced 1950s in the second intifada, Australia could understand why Israel became more in more preoccupied with its needs in terms of security, particularly in view of the challenges of the Iran.

He said that the second part of the Australia on nuclear weapons in the Middle East, politics as it was Iran, is as clear. "Already, non-proliferation Treaty namely the Iran have give effect to their obligations and that they are not." They are in violation, a point I reiterated in discussions there are only a few days with the Iranian Foreign Minister".

Institutions, who have been at the centre of the collapse of the direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, Mr Rudd said: "the position of the Australian Government has long been clear." We only approve new construction regulations and the reason is undermining the prospects for the continuation of the peace negotiations.

Mr Rudd said the Australian Government fully understands security Israel from Gaza, but facilities were "something else".

Concerned after comments by the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, if peace talks is made, it can dissolve the Palestinian Authority and deliver the daily operation of the West Bank into Israel. "It is also a second reality, which is what security challenges would be facing Israel if fully reduced peace process if completely located Palestinian Authority or Abu Mazen had to give effect to what he implied publicly in its recent statements on the authority of bending or moderate Arab States begin to adopt a different attitude against a prolonged and non-successful peace negotiation process."

Mr Rudd has warned that there may be serious consequences if the peace process had collapsed.

"Each of us, if we are students of the history of the last decade and have an understanding of what can harm and what can go wrong big time if the Palestinian people have a stake in a negotiated outcome," he said.